Margin control in typing machine



April 7, 1970 H. MARUM 3,504,779

MARGIN CONTROL IN TYPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BE] l] E] E] E] E] E] E! E] [IE] QQ April 7, 1970 H. MARUM 3,504,779

MARGIN CONTROL IN TYPING MACHINE 7 Filed Nov. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2United States Patent US. Cl. 19763 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amargin positioner for a typewriting machine which has an escapementmechanism for spacing between irn pressions. The return movement of thecarriage is to an overtravel position, and there is provided a sensingmeans which operates the escapement independently from impression typingto advance the carriage from its overtravel position to the desiredmargin position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The drawings illustrate the invention in thecontext of the well known Vari-Typer Composing machine produced and soldby Vari-Typer Corporation, N.J., USA, and is particularly suited forthat machine. However, the principles of the invention and the resultsto be obtained, will apply equally to any precision type printing orwriting machine wherein a paper carriage and a type font impressionposition are moved relative to one another.

In the usual situation, a typewriting device employs a movable carriagewhich is returned to the right to a margin stop in order that typing maybegin on the left hand side of a sheet of paper and proceed across thepage toward the right margin. Obviously, Hebrew and similar languageswhich read from right to left will employ adaptations in reverse. Thisinvention will be described in the context of English language and atyping machine which operates to type from left to right across thepage.

Typewriters, for many years, required the carriage to be returnedmanually by the operator. A single lever usually served the jointfunction of advancing the carriage roller to thread the paper to asubsequent line, and to return the carriage to begin a new line of type.The full return of the carriage to starting position at the left marginin such devices is dependent upon a stop which is selectivelypositionable and the careful return of the carriage to that stop.

Conventional typewriters use a spacing of equal amount between eachletter regardless of letter width and height. Devices of the typeillustrated in the drawings employ proportional spacing according to theparticular letter being impressed. Accordingly, the escapement mechanismemployed on such fine control machines is more precise and subject toimproper marginal spacing than the standard ofiice machine.

The use of electrical power for operating typing machines has notaltogether solved the problem of left margin error. -A fast return of acarriage to a margin stop can result in a malfunction of the escapementand catch mechanism permitting the margin overtravel or to fall awayfrom the stop one or more increments. Such accidental mispositioning ofthe carriage from the left margin is troublesome in any situation, butbecomes of considerably greater concern in the composition ofproportionally spaced subject matter used for reproduction in thegraphic arts. There is no room for error in such end use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An advantage of this invention is that the carriageis caused'to return to the desired stop position and then overtravel alimited amount, whereafter the escapement mechanism is operatedincrement by increment to return the carriage slowly to the exactmarginal stop position.

This invention solves the problem of mispositioning from the usual fixedstop by bringing the carriage to a stop roughly in a position desired,but overtraveled from that position, and thereafter operating the normalescapement mechanism to bring the carriage to exact alignment at thestop position in relatively slow incremental stops.

Other objects in a fuller understanding of this invention will becomeapparent as the description of the preferred embodiment proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an ofiicecomposing machine employing a precision margin control device embodyingthe principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of the parts applied to thecomposing machine for precision margin control.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The FIGURE 1 of the drawings isprovided in order to relate the parts shown in FIGURE 2 into anunderstandable, workable environment. Although the principles of thisinvention are applicable to various types of typewriting machines, adifferential spacing typewriter 10 of the type internationally known bythe trademark Vari- Typer is used as an illustration of the invention.

A carriage 12, which carries paper holding and advancing rollers 14 and15, is mounted to shift laterally across the machine in order to carrypaper relative to an impression station.

In order to illustrate the invention in a readily understandable view,FIGURE 2 is diagrammatic. End pieces 17 and 18 of the carriage as seenin FIGURE 1 are used as a frame of reference between the FIGURES 1 and2. The operating mechanism in FIGURE 1, as normally viewed from anyangle in the operative machine, substantially conceals a rack 26 whichis an integral part of the carriage. Rack 26 is mounted in such a mannerthat it may be lifted and loweredfor some purposes. It is actuallyshiftable as much as one-half inch for line justification, but at thetime of return of the carriage, the rack is locked in place, and in thefunction of this invention may be considered not shiftable with respectto the carriage to any appreciable degree, and hence moveslongitudinally as a fixed part of the carriage. Rack 26 is shown only infragmentary view in FIGURE 2 but is to be considered an integrallongitudinally shiftable part of the carriage 12.

A plural pinion 28 is used in the illustrative machine as a means toselect a desired horizontal spacing. Rack 26 is liftable, and' pinion 28shiftable to place. one of four in mesh with the rack. The Vari-Typerofiice composing machine has a plurality of such pinions 28, in order toprovide a selection of spacings between character imprints. However,regardless of whether one or a plurality of actual pinions are employed,the function of the selected pinion is the same, and that is to controlthe incremental release of the carriage as printing impressions arecarried out.

The pinion 28 is fixed upon a shaft 30. It is desired that the rack 26drive the pinion 28 during normal release between printing impressions.The carriage 12 is driven in a series of adjacent impression positionsby a spring motor, as known to the typewriter art. This direction isindicated by the arrow and capital letter T shown in FIGURE 2,indicating movement during typing. Return movement is indicated by thearrow and the reference letter R.

An escapement mechanism 32 is represented in part by an escapement wheel33 fixed to the shaft 30. In order for the carriage to move rack 26 inthe typing release direction, the pinion 28 must be driven. Aunidirectional clutch connects two separate sections which togethercompose the shaft 30. Such clutch is a commercially known device andtherefore is represented in FIGURE 2 only by the block 31. The clutch 31is arranged so that the wheel 33 must also be driven during typingrelease movement. Accordingly, movement of the carriage is controlled byincremental release of the wheel 33. Release is accomplished in theescapement mechanism by escapement pawls in the manner well known in themechanical movement art. Only lever 34 of the escapement mechanism isillustrated in FIGURE 2, the balance of the complex escapement leversbeing omitted for clarity of illustration.

The escapement mechanism 32 is manually operable by linkageinterconnected with each key and type bar of a keyboard 36. The linkagemechanism is not illustrated, being of known conventional construction,but is connected to drive a link 37 which in turn causes the escapementmechanism to release the wheel 33 one increment. Each time a proper keyconnected to the link 37 is depressed, the carriage will shift theamount determined by the pinion diameter and the coder, as known in theart.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, a motor 38 is shown at the rear of themachine to provide power for all of the driven functions. One suchfunction is the power return of the carriage in the direction of thearrow R in FIG- URE 2. A spring clutch 39 is normally disconnected, andis actuated to drive a wire spool 40. Wire spool 40 carries a wireconnected to the opposite end of the carriage. A return key 41 isconnected, by means not shown, to actuate the clutch 39 and cause thewire spool 40 to drive the carriage from left to right in the FIGURE 1view.

A rack 43, also a part of the carriage 12 and shiftable longitudinallytherewith, is hidden below the superstructure of the carriage in FIGURE1, and is accessible only from the front of the machine. The rack 43 isconnected between the end pieces 17 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 2. Rack 43is provided for determining the left hand margin to which the machine isdesigned to return upon actuation of the return key 41.

A catch 44 is longitudinally shiftable along the rack 43 to any relativeposition along the length thereof. The rack is inscribed with a seriesof measuring indicia, as shown in FIGURE 2. Setting of the catchposition determines the left margin to which the machine will returneach time the carriage return key 41 is depressed.

Catch 44 is composed generally of a saddle frame 45 which fits over therack 43, and a spring retained pawl 46. Pawl 46 has top surfaces whichlock into a toothed bottom edge of the rack 43, and provides a hook endon the lower side. By pressing a release lever on the top of the catch44, the saddle may be slipped along the rack to any desired position,and release of the pawl will cause it to lock in that selected position.

This invention provides for a center slide 50 carried by the machine.The center slide is composed generally of a longitudinal frame 51 havingelongated guide openings 52 at opposite ends thereof. The openings 52are engaged over loosely fitted screws carried by the main frame of themachine in order that the frame 51 of the center slide 50 may shiftlongitudinally within the limits of the longitudinal dimension of theopenings 52.

An abutment 53 is pivotally carried on the frame 51 by a pivotallymounted carriage 54. The abutment 53 is normally held in a positionwhich is in the path of the pawl 46 carried by catch 44 and thereforewill be engaged by the pawl 46 as the carriage is advanced to the right.The pivotally mounted carriage 54 is held in this engagement position bymeans of a spring 55 which urges the abutment 53 to an elevatedcondition. A rod 56 is provided to force the carriage 54 to rotatecounterclockwise against the urge of the spring 55. counterclockwiserotation will lower the abutment 53 out of the path of the pawl 46. Rod56 is connected to a margin release lever on the carriage.

A spring 58 urges frame 51 toward a position of early engagement withthe pawl 46, and thus the frame will move for a distance with the catch44 after the pawl 46 first makes engagement with abutment 53. Spring 58'urges the frame to the left in FIGURE 2, and therefore provides maximumjuxtaposition movement. The movement of the catch 44 to the abutment 53,and the advance of the entire carriage thereafter, is employed as adrive control means for starting and stopping a drive means whichadvances the carriage along its path by individual increments in thetyping direction. The drive control means is in a neutral conditionwhenever the activator catch 44 is separated from the drive controlcenter slide 50. Because the drive control slide 50 lies in the fixedpath of the actuator catch 44, the catch will approach the abutment 53in a direction which is the opposite of the first typing direction to apoint of first engagement.

The typing direction is referred to as a first direction, and thecarriage return, which carries the catch 44, as a second direction. Thepoint of first engagement of catch to abutment, is a juxtaposition ofthe activator and control means. In the preferred embodiment of themechanical device, this juxtaposition is a point of first contact. Itmight be likened to the movement of a light beam to a first positionupon a light sensitive device. Thereafter, because the catch continuesto move and carries the abutment and its slide frame therealong, theslide is sometimes referred to as a drag link. There is an overtravel ofthe activator and the drive control means while they remain in thejuxtaposition. Thus, because the activator catch has moved the centerslide out of its normal rest position where it is urged by the spring58, the associated control transfer structure is used to bring the drivecontrol means to an active condition.

The associated control transfer structure begins with a rod 60 mountedfor rotation around its longitudinal axis. A crank arm 62 and link 64connects the rod 60 to the center slide and therefore will causerotation of this rod 60 through a limited rotary arc in compliance withthe longitudinal shifting of the center slide 50.

A rod having a loop end 68 is mounted over the drive stud of bankinglever crank arm 70. Arm 70 rotates around the longitudinal axis of theshaft 60 and is driven thereby. However, the loop end construction 68 onrod 66 provides for a degree of slack such that the center slide mustmove and drive the rod 60 through a few degrees of rotation prior toactuation of the rod 66. Therefore, the movement of rod 66 is delayed inits motion after first contact of pawl 46 with abutment 53. This delayin movement is a lost motion mechanism designed to overtravel a limiteddistance before bringing into operation a system for returning thecarriage increment by increment to a preselected margin position.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a shaft 72 is employed to drive the wire spool40. Shaft 72 is driven continuously by the motor 38 and power foroperation of spool 40 is tapped only when the clutch 39 is activated.Adjacent to the shaft 72 is a rocker arm 74 carried by pivot support 75.A spring 76 urges the rocker arm 74 to rotate around the pivot 75. Aneccentric wheel 78 is carried on one end of the rocker arm 74. A rubberdrive wheel 79 is carried on the shaft 72. Wheel 79 is not shown in thetop view of FIGURE 1, because of the reduced scale of FIGURE 1, however,it is a continuously rotating drive wheel and is carried on shaft 72adjacent to the spring clutch 39. Whenever the rocker arm 74 is releasedto rotate under the urge of spring 76, the eccentric wheel 78 will pivotinto contact with the surface of the drive wheel 79 and receive driveforce therefrom. Because the wheel 78 is eccentric, such drive of wheel78 will cause the rocker arm 74 to rock through a limited rotationalmovement around the shaft 75. The rocker arm 74 appears to dance up anddown and hence becomes an oscillating drive arm whenever it is free tooperate.

A bracket 81, pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 82, is connected to therod '66 and is positionable by the rod. Bracket 81 carries a latch arm84. Arm 84 has a locking position as shown in FIGURE 2, under the end ofrocker arm 74. A tab formation of bracket 81 is designed to disengagethe spring clutch 39 as shown in FIGURE 1. In the locking position, arm84 holds the rocker arm elevated to withdraw the eccentric wheel 78 fromthe drive wheel 79. Whenever the rod 66 is pulled by the rotation of rod60, as described, the tab formation of bracket 81 disengages the springclutch 39, thus stopping carriage movement. Arm 84 is pulled out of thelocking position, and arm 74 is released. The spring 76 will then drawthe wheel 78 into operative position and the rocker arm 74 will begin tooscillate under the drive of eccentric wheel 78. The oscillating motionof rocker arm 74 is translated into escapement release movement throughthe media of a rod 86, crank arm 88, and shaft 90. The rod 86 isattached to the rocker arm 74 at one end and to the crank 88 at theother end. Crank 88 is non-rotatively secured to the shaft 90. When therocker arm 74 oscillates, the rod 90 will be oscillated about its ownlongitudinal axis. The degree of rotation may be selected according toneed, by lengthening or shortening of the crank 88 and location of theconnection of the rod 86 on the rocker arm 74.

As seen in FIGURE 2, oscillation of shaft 90 operates to translate themovement back to reciprocal movement in the link 37, and link 37operates the escapement mechanism, the part of which is shown as lever34 As a consequence of driving the center slide 50 sufficiently far tocause rod 66 to pull lever 84 into a release condition, the rocker arm74 is caused to oscillate and in turn operate the release escapementmechanism for release of the wheel 33 by increments. Then, the rotationof the wheel 33, operating through pinion 28 and rack 26, will advancethe carriage 12 from right to left, as viewed by an operator when seatedat the keyboard.

Advancement of the carriage in this manner carries the catch 44 in areverse direction, and will allow spring 58 to draw the frame 51 towardits normal rest position. Return of frame 51 will cause the crank arm 70to move to the limit of the loop end 68 on drive rod 66. Rod 66 isdriven to force lever 84 back under the end of the rocker arm 74. Theoscillating movement of the rocker arm 74 is thus halted and theescapement movement is halted. Cessation of escapement movement willbring the carriage movement to a halt.

The operation is therefore one of causing the catch to reach ajuxtaposition with a central slide, but having no reaction begin untilthe central slide is shifted from its normal position. Such provisionenables the return drive movement to take place by restoring the partsto their normal latched condition only after the leeway provided in theapparatus has been taken up.

The mechanical structure illustrated, being the preferred embodiment forillustrating the inventive principle, provides in a typing machine, theovertravel of the return carriage to an approximate stopping positionwhich is not critical, whereafter the carriage is returned by exactincrements until the sensing mechanism establishes the position of. thecarriage in the precise margin position desired for beginning of a typedline.

Whereas the present invention has been shown and described herein inwhat is conceived to he the best mode contemplated, it is recognizedthat departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the inventionwhich is, therefore, not to be limited to the details disclosed herein,but is to be afforded the full scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A typewriting machine having a paper holding carriage, a spring drivedevice urging said carriage in a first direction, an escapement deviceholding said carriage against the urge of said spring drive device, andmeans for selecting and driving a type font against a sheet carried bysaid carriage and thereafter releasing said escapement by an incrementto allow carriage advance under the urge of said spring drive device toreposition the sheet for a succeeding font impression, and a carriagereturn means to return said carriage in a second direction and positionit a desired margin position to being a new line of printing wherein themachine is improved by:

a power drive operating said escapement device to produce a continuousseries of incremental release movements of said carriage in response toreturn of said carriage in said second direction beyond said desiredmargin position;

an actuator to turn said power drive on and 013?;

a slide link carried by means allowing shifting movement of said linkbetween first and second limits;

means urging said link to said first limit position;

a catch driven by said carriage to engage and drive said link away fromthe first limit position during a carriage return operation against saidurging means, said catch positioned to engage said link at said firstlimit position when the carriage reaches the desired margin position;and

lost motion means interconnecting said link and said actuator forproviding overtravel of said carriage beyond said desired marginposition before power drive to the escapement device is initiated toprovide said continuous series of incremental release movements, saidlink and actuator returning to said first limit position as a functionof carriage advance under urge of the spring device as the carriage isreleased in said continuous series of incremental release movements bysaid power operated escapement device to turn off the said power driveupon carriage return to said desired margin position from a positionbeyond said desired margin position;

whereby, the carriage will move to the desired margin position,overtravel beyond said desired margin position and be gently returnedexactly to the proper margin position by said escapement deviceproviding said continuous series of incremental release movements.

2. A typewriter machine according to claim 1, wherein said catch iscarried by said carriage and is operator positionable in its relativeposition thereon to establish the return margin position.

3. A typewriter machine according to claim 1, wherein said link having acatch surface to engage with said catch member, and means to move saidcatch surface out of engageable position in order that the carriage maybe released to move beyond the margin position without activating saidpower drive of the escapement device.

(References on following page) 7 8 Refel ences Cited 3,292,530 12/1966Martin -2 101-93 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,306,416 2/1967 Dahlm et a1.1976.6

2,232,114 2/ 1941 Khalil 19794 EDGAR S. BURR, Primary Examiner 2,258,11610/1941 Khalil 197-66 Us cl XR 2,797,789 7/1957 Yaeger 197-66 5 197662,897,942 8/1959 Keene 197-63

